Two teenage boys had to be rescued from a slingshot ride at London’s Winter Wonderland after one of the bungee cords malfunctioned and sent them hurtling into a metal beam.
Videos show the cord slipping on take-off and the green metal cage holding the riders being propelled diagonally instead of vertically.
The cage collided with a supporting post and spun wildly, leaving the two boys suspended high above the ground.
In footage of the incident posted on social media, other guests were heard gasping as the ride malfunctioned.
Emergency services were called but before they arrived staff were able to reach the riders and help them to safety.
Winter Wonderland blamed a “technical issue” for the incident. A spokesperson added that safety was the “highest priority” at the seasonal Hyde Park fairground and that all rides had “rigorous and regular” safety checks.
Becky Littlewood, who filmed the scene, said it was “very scary”. She had been attending the attraction in London’s Hyde Park with her husband on Wednesday night when the accident happened.
“There were so many rides there and this particular ride had quite a few people queuing outside of it,” Ms Littlewood told the PA news agency.
“I really wanted to go on it. But my husband looked at me and he said, ‘No, you’re not going on that, it doesn’t look very safe.’ And then, just as we were walking off, we heard this massive bang.
“The side had snapped and catapulted the people into the air, and then it hit the side of the ride.
“Obviously everyone was screaming. And then security kept trying to usher us away and telling us to put our phones away and get out of the area.
“They were sat there for about 20 minutes while they figured out how to get them down.”
The 33-year-old from Suffolk has said this experience would not put her off attending future fairgrounds.
“I wouldn’t go back to this one,” Ms Littlewood said. “But I’d go to others. But I would avoid this sort of ride because they seem a bit unpredictable.”
Winter Wonderland is a major London attraction featuring rides and festive market stalls. It is estimated millions of visitors attend each year.
The Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme, an organisation that monitors the safety of amusement park rides, said: “We can confirm that the elastic cord and the steel wire rope supporting the reverse bungee gondola in which the public sit has not snapped or failed in any way.
“We inspected the ride at 7am this morning and it was found that a technical issue had occurred within a sealed gearbox that controls the release of the elastic cord and steel wire rope.”
